Together with Austria, France, Spain and Italy, Germany is one of the countries in the European Union that have a network of economic and professional chambers. Some regard this system of self-government as the pillar of democracy, others see it as a relic of the past that has no place in the age of the Internet. Matthias Kohlmann is president of the chamber division of Stade an der Elbe - not far from Hamburg. He explains what chambers do.